


That's Why Joan is the Boss

by weasleytook



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Crossover, Gen, Recruitment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-04
Updated: 2015-09-04
Packaged: 2018-04-17 10:35:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4663434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/weasleytook/pseuds/weasleytook
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Slayer or Superhero, why not both?</p>
            </blockquote>





	That's Why Joan is the Boss

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SuburbanSun](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuburbanSun/gifts).



> Pretty much ignores the Buffy comics, because, yep. Hope you like it as much as I enjoyed writing it, dear recipient!
> 
> Thanks to my beta, L!
> 
> P.S. If you someday get a gift from me on some random date, it's because I started writing you something entirely different but it became a monster fic that wouldn't die, so someday I hope to finish that and if/when I do, it's for you!

_Three Years Before New York_

 

In a lot of ways, Buffy now works harder than she ever did back in Sunnydale. It’s not just about fighting vampires and demons anymore. She’s constantly training the other slayers, traveling the world to find the others, organizing, keeping an eye on this new organization they’ve built together.

But she does get a vacation every now and then, something high school Buffy never got to do. It’s a little hard not to worry that some demon uprising is going to happen while she’s sipping piña coladas on a sandy beach in the Caribbean, but she’s, surprisingly, come to trust Faith as a suitable fill-in.

This time she brings Willow to Curacao with her, because she knows her friend needs a recharge after a particularly draining spell that depowered a coven of the bad kind of witches.

Four days into her trip, she’s alone on the beach while Willow naps in their rented beach house and thinking about how she could really use a refill on her drink. As if God himself answers her prayers, she hears a glass clink down on the table next to her chair.

“You must have read my mind…” Buffy opens her eyes and instead of the cute little waiter from earlier, her drink is being served by a tall man with an eyepatch and a black leather coat.

“You’re not the waiter. And you’re also extremely overdressed for June in the Caribbean.”

He doesn’t crack a smile as he responds, “Miss Summers, my name is Nick Fury and I’m the director of an organization called S.H.I.E.L.D.”

She slides one hand in to the bag beside her chair, making sure she has a stake ready just in case S.H.I.E.L.D. is some sort of evil group planning on taking her out. Fury notices and says, “You don’t need a weapon. I’m one of the good guys.”

“That’s what all the bad guys say right before they try to eat your brains with a spoon.”

“S.H.I.E.L.D. stands for Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. We’re an intelligence agency created to protect the United States and the world at large.”

She lets go of her stake and grabs her piña colada instead, taking a long sip before groaning out loud. “Ughhh. Government agencies. No thanks, I’ll pass.”

Fury takes a folder out of his jacket and places it on the table next to her. “I’m recruiting people, like you, for something called The Avengers Initiative.”

“Last time I got recruited by a government initiative, the mad scientist lady’s frankenrobotmonster tried to kill me and I had to merge with my best friends to destroy it. Gives you the trippiest dreams by the way, I don’t recommend it. So, again, I’ll pass.”

“Miss Summers…”

“Pass.”

“Please just take a moment to read what it’s in the file. Then take some time to think about it and I’ll be in touch.”

Buffy uses her index finger to slide the folder away from her. “Pass.”

She has enough on her hands as it is, no need to get involved in another mess. Buffy wants to enjoy the rest of her week here, then go back to playing big sister to all of her mini-slayers. She isn’t interested in avenging anything on behalf of some shadowy government agency.

Buffy grabs her iPod out of her bag and puts the buds in her ear to make it clear the conversation is done. Fury doesn’t push the issue, to her surprise. He just grabs the folder and walks away. Buffy watches him walk over the hill and towards the resort, only closing her eyes once he’s completely out of sight.

Three weeks later, she gets an e-mail from him asking her to once again reconsider.

She replies with one word, “Pass.”

 

*

 

_Six Months After New York_

 

Their training center, affectionately called Slayersville, is just outside of London on an estate that Giles bought them with money from the defunct Watcher’s Council bank accounts. It’s almost like a boarding school, if the purpose of boarding school was to train young women how to effectively fight the forces of evil.

This particular day, she’s standing in the doorway of a room they call the shooting gallery, watching some guy she’s never seen before hit targets with a longbow while Faith watches him.

Faith notices her and waves her over, “Hey, B.”

“What’s Katniss Everdeen doing here?”

The guy lowers his weapon and turns to face her. “Funny. The name is actually Clint Barton.”

“And you’re here because?”

He doesn’t get to answer because, as usual, Faith interjects, “Because maybe we need to start using the longbow more. Barton here says we’d get much higher accuracy than we do with the crossbow. It requires more training, but might be worth looking in to.”

Buffy looks him up and down. He’s familiar, and it takes her a moment, but suddenly she knows exactly where she’s seen him.

“He’s no door-to-door arrow salesman. He was in the Battle of New York. You’re an Avenger.”

She had laughed when she heard the term on the news months ago, finally understanding what Nick Fury had wanted from her. And now a real life Avenger had shown up at her door. Fury was persistent, she’d grant him that at least.

Faith lights up and pounds her fist in to Clint’s shoulder, perhaps a bit too hard since he winces slightly. “Oh, man, that is badass as HELL.”

“Faith, can you give us a moment to talk privately, please?”

“No problem. But, don’t leave without showing me that shoulder trick, okay?”

Clint nods and Faith exits, shutting the door behind her. Buffy crosses her arms and looks back at him, not betraying any emotion as she does. Clint tilts his head toward the door and says, “She’s… interesting.”

“Yeah. Maybe you should recruit her instead of me.”

“So you know why I’m here then.”

“It’s funny, usually the top dog would send the underlings first and then show up, but Fury is doing it the other way around. No offense.”

Clint grins just a little bit and replies, “None taken. He sent me because once upon a time, I was responsible for recruiting a woman who is the most valuable agent we’ve ever had. Fury wondered if maybe I could do the same with you.”

She uncrosses her arms and continues to keep her face expressionless as she asks, “Was she as reluctant as I am?”

“Worse. She tried to kill me. More than once.”

She can’t stop the laugh that comes out of her. “Listen, I appreciate the offer and I respect what you guys did in New York, saving the universe and all that. But I’m happy here and these girls need me and maybe we’re not fighting aliens and making CNN every night, but we save the world too.”

“S.H.I.E.L.D. can do a lot to help those girls of yours. Your whole group. Joining us doesn’t mean you’re letting them down. We know what you do here, and we want to help, but we could also use your help too.”

It’s not the worst pitch she’s ever heard, but she’s worked so hard to get things to where they are today and there’s no reason to change it now.

“Ughhhhh,” isn’t her most eloquent response, but it’s what comes out of her mouth.

“So should I tell Fury you’ll think about it?”

“Pass.”

“Really?”

“Yes, tell your boss thanks, but… pass.”

Clint extends a hand and Buffy shakes it firmly. “It was a pleasure to meet you then.”

She nods and then shouts at the closed door, “You can come back in, Faith!”

Faith doesn’t hesitate to open the door, but pauses at the threshold for a moment, looking impressed that Buffy rated a recruitment visit from a real deal Avenger. “So why you and not me? We have the same powers.”

Buffy walks to the door and waits for Faith to step inside before saying, “I have leadership skills. And no felony convictions.”

Clint shrugs and responds, “The felonies aren’t really a problem.”

Buffy laughs and exits, but before she closes the door all the way, she says, “Have fun, you two. Don’t hurt him, Faith.”

 

*

 

_Three Months After Sokovia_

 

As comfortable as Buffy has become with her position over the years, there are still days she just wants to be Buffy and not The Slayer. Although, to be more accurate, she hasn’t been _the_ slayer in a long time, she’s just _a_ slayer. But she’s their leader, the one everyone looks to for answers, the one they all rely on, and some days she needs a break from that.

She picks a Wednesday this time, tells Giles she’ll be back by midnight and takes the train into London to see a movie by herself, get a mani-pedi and have a few drinks at her favorite pub. She’s walking to the train station after dark when she sees a couple of male vampires so obviously pursuing a girl in a black hooded sweatshirt, that they might as well have sent her a text message expressing their intent to kill her.

Buffy is a little bit tipsy, so subtlety flies out the window when she whistles at the two vamps. Both of them, as well as their prey, turn around and she gives them a tiny wave. “Hey guys. Sorry to interrupt your dinner plans, but she’s not on the menu.”

She grabs a stake out of her purse and heads toward the bigger one first. Both vampires engage in the fight at once though, and she ends up right in between them, alternating kicks and punches. She is eventually able to tackle the larger one to the ground and stakes him quickly. When she turns back to fight the other one, the girl in the sweatshirt is fighting him with moves she’s never seen before. Buffy stares in shock as the girl wraps her legs around the vamp’s neck and pins him to the ground.

She then speaks in Buffy’s direction, “Little help, please?”

Buffy reacts quickly, despite her surprise, and heads over to quickly stake the vamp. Both women get to their feet quickly and Buffy is still staring when the woman pulls down her hood to reveal straight red hair. She knows immediately who she’s looking at and can’t help but laugh.

“You guys sure are getting creative in your recruitment efforts. Setting yourself up as vampire bait and everything.”

“So you know who I am?”

“You’re the one they call Black Widow.”

Natasha smirks at the mention of her moniker and replies, “Yeah, but you can call me Natasha.”

“So, Nick Fury dies and what? He leaves behind a will ensuring that his team will keep bothering me until I join up.”

“Something like that. Come on, follow me.” Natasha directs her across the street to a mostly empty diner and they take a booth in the back, ordering coffee and nothing else.

Once they’re settled in, Natasha explains, “Things have changed since Barton came to see you. There’s no more S.H.I.E.L.D., at least not like there was. We have some new team members, and some of our others are... well, out of commission. I’m just extending you an open invitation. Doesn’t have to be today, but our doors are always open. Just come to the states, see what we’re doing, and decide.”

“You know I have my responsibilities here.”

“I know you have excuses.”

Buffy frowns at her but Natasha continues, “I’m not trying to belittle the work you’ve done, it’s impressive. But you’ve trained those girls so well, they can handle things without you. We can also provide your girls with resources that you can’t even imagine, if you join us. This is your opportunity to do something even bigger than what you’ve been doing.”

Buffy takes a sip of her coffee then sighs. “I know what I do, what we both do, it’s important, but sometimes I wish –“

“That you didn’t have to save the world.”

“Something like that.”

“I’ve been on both sides, and I can tell you this is the better side to be on.”

Buffy can’t argue with that. And certainly Natasha’s pitch is the best one so far, or maybe she just likes Natasha’s style more than she did Fury or Barton.

“I’ve been doing this for so long.”

“I know exactly how you feel. Some days, you probably feel twice your actual age.”

“At least that.”

Buffy stares in to her coffee cup as Natasha says, “The good news is we have Steve Rogers and he will _always_ be older than us.”

Both women laugh and Natasha reaches into the pocket of her hoodie and pulls out a piece of paper with her information scrawled on it. “I know you probably just put the other offers out of your mind as soon as my colleagues left, but really think this one over, talk it out with the people you trust, and call me.”

She doesn’t automatically say ‘pass’ this time, which is more of a surprise to Buffy than it is to Natasha. Instead she takes the paper and with a smile, says, “I’ll be in touch.”

 

*

 

A week later, Buffy calls Natasha and immediately after the other woman answers, she asks, “If I say yes, do I get a cool superhero name like the rest of you?”

Natasha laughs and answers, “I don’t know. I think Slayer is a pretty good start.”

“It’s also the name of a hair band from the 80s, so no thanks.”

“We’ll work on it then. So, is that a yes?”

Buffy takes a deep breath in before she answers, “I guess. So when do we assemble?”

“I can have you on the first flight to New York in the morning.”

And just like that, she’s gone from Slayer to Avenger, she’s not sure if it’s an upgrade, but at least it sounds pretty good.

 


End file.
